Backlining, in which a generally strip-shaped reinforcing material consisting of raised woven fabric, gauze or tear-proof paper (kraft paper or crêpe paper) is applied to the back of the book block to reinforce the back and thus provide dimensional stability of the subsequent book throughout the reading life thereof, is an essential step in the manufacture of books from book blocks. Additional reinforcement of the back can be achieved by previously applying gauze, which takes on a hinge function between the book back and the cover in a region projecting beyond the back on both longitudinal sides, together with the end sheets which are also applied there. During the manufacture of hardcover books, a headband, in other words a coloured band, is also applied to the upper and lower edge of the book block during backlining, and neatly covers the transition from the book block to the cover.
DE102013004497 A1 discloses a method and a corresponding device for mechanically backlining and headbanding a series of book blocks having different back lengths. In this method, two portions of a backlining material are applied in succession to the back of a book block so as to overlap with each other, the back initially being pasted and the two portions being applied to the back of the book block in succession in separate backlining stations and finally being pressed on. Initially, there is a first adhesive application to the part of the back to which the first portion of the backlining material is to be applied. After this first portion is applied to the part of the back provided with adhesive, the remaining part of the back and an overlap region of the portion of the backlining material already applied to the back are provided with adhesive, before the second portion of the backlining material is applied to the back of the book block and applied to the first portion of the backlining material in the overlap region. As a result of this staggered application of the adhesive and the immediate covering of the region provided with adhesive with the corresponding portion of the backlining material, soiling of the device can be prevented and largely fault-free operation of the device can thus be ensured. In addition, in each case a headband may be glued to the web of the backlining material before the corresponding portions are separated off from this web and applied to the back, provided with adhesive, of the book block. DE102013004497 A1 does not discuss the configuration of a supply apparatus of the backlining material to the two backlining stations and in particular the configuration of conveying means for applying the portions of the backlining material to the back of the book block.
EP2269836 A2 discloses a method and a device for mechanically backlining or headbanding the backs of book blocks in a book production line equipped with a single backlining station. In this case, at least two portions of backlining material, specifically a portion of the backlining material covering the entire back of the book block and a gauze strip which projects beyond said portion at the longitudinal sides, are interconnected to form a joint backlining complex which is applied to the pasted book block back as a whole and pressed on. The device comprises at least two supply apparatuses for providing different backlining materials to a conveying means provided with suction elements, the suction elements being moved between the respective handover points of the supply apparatuses to the conveying means and the back of the book block.
For rapidly adapting the backlining complex to different back lengths of book blocks to be backlined in succession, these supply apparatuses may be mutually offset in such a way that the portions of the backlining material in the backlining complex overlap in such a way that the resulting backlining complex corresponds to the back length of the relevant book block. A drawback of this is the poor accessibility of the points of the backlining station where the offset of the supply apparatuses with respect to one another is to take place. In addition, the storage apparatuses for the different backlining materials have to be applied in positions which can be mutually offset, and this makes ergonomic loading thereof impossible. Furthermore, access to the respective pasting apparatuses and the paste application nozzles thereof is heavily restricted by the spatial relationships, and disposing of the side cuttings of the backlining material is made difficult. A further drawback is the relatively large number of adhesion points at which the individual backlining materials have to be connected to form the backlining complex. At each adhesion point, and in particular when the gauze strip is glued on, there is the possibility of soiling of the device, and this can lead to disruption of the operation of the book production line.
EP1894739 B1 also discloses a device for backlining and headbanding the backs of book blocks in a book production line. In this case, the backlining material is transported by a single supply apparatus to the book production line, where it is cut to length, in other words tailored to the thickness of the back of the relevant book block, and applied to the back of the relevant book block by a suction element of a conveying means. For this purpose, the suction element is initially pivoted into a receiving position, in which it sucks up a portion of the backlining material accordingly cut to length in advance, and transports this portion through a pivot movement into a release position to the back of the book block.